Lakers erase huge deficit but lose to Knicks: The good, bad and story

Nov 23, 2021; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony (7) fights for position against New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett (9) and center Nerlens Noel (3) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 23, 2021; New York, New York, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward Carmelo Anthony (7) fights for position against New York Knicks guard RJ Barrett (9) and center Nerlens Noel (3) during the second quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
2 of 3
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers

The bad from the Los Angeles Lakers’ loss:

The first two minutes…the first quarter and the first few minutes of the second quarter!

The Los Angeles Lakers were bad… really bad!

The New York Knicks looked like world-beaters running out to a 10-0 lead before the National Anthem was done.

The only saving grace for the Lake Show is that the Knicks were not pushing the pace during this time and it was evident that the hot shooting was going to fade, which it did.

Talen Horton Tucker.

Uh oh! THT’s game has been blown up with TNT. Understand he didn’t shoot great against the Detroit Pistons (4-13), but that game has been sandwiched with two games where he missed all of his shots from the field. In this game, he missed all eight shots to go scoreless. Fans think when players come back from injury things go back to the way they were but that’s not reality.

Talen has lost his rhythm and the Lakers need him to get it back quickly.

Anthony Davis has got to hit his free throws.  

Forget his stat line, the 5-11 from the free-throw line is all that matters. The difference between AD in the championship year and his production since has been his misses from the charity stripe. He’s gone from a guy that can’t miss to an above-average free throw shooter. The free throws make this guy unstoppable.